


Stars Above You

by ohanotherday



Category: Man of Steel (2013)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-13
Updated: 2014-04-13
Packaged: 2018-01-19 05:04:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1456540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohanotherday/pseuds/ohanotherday
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><a href="http://manofsteelkink.livejournal.com/606.html?thread=4702#t4702">LJ Prompt</a>: Kal-El was to be a bridge between the Kryptonian military caste and Science caste, the two sects having become so separated, that a child was to be born to aid in making peace between the two. Kal-El was to marry the top military leader of Krypton as the house of El was the foremost house of the Science caste and Jor-El was married already. </p>
<p>Lara and Jor-El wanted more for any potential child of theirs and so in secret they had a live birth, so he could choose for himself, but Krypton's days are numbered and Lara and Jor-El know Zod would become aware of their duplicity soon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stars Above You

**Author's Note:**

> So this fic was written for [this prompt](http://manofsteelkink.livejournal.com/606.html?thread=4702#t4702) and was also inspired by [this gif set and the tags](http://brodinsons.tumblr.com/post/69399077845). Those tags.
> 
> Also, I panicked and couldn't decide on the title. So I went through my music and laughed a bunch and got the title from [this song.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGSyPlctIxE) Mostly because, well, is Zod talking about Kal-El or the codex or Krypton? Also, that song was done for the movie _Saved!_ , and I recommend it to all.

Zod hadn’t expected Jor-El would actually steal the codex. He knew Jor had his own concerns and ideas about the harvesting of Krypton’s core, but he never imagined Jor’s hope for the future would break so fully. There was always hope. But then again, Zod had stopped talking to Jor in any meaningful way for months.

The last time they had talked about something _not_ pertaining to Krypton’s core was when the high council proposed a marriage. Jor and Lara had been shocked when they heard the proposal of the council: in order to bridge the strain between the military caste and the science caste, the two sects having become so separated, a child was to be born in making peace between the two. The House of El, being the foremost house of the science caste, would produce a child to marry to the top military leader of Krypton.

The marriage wouldn’t happen for years, so despite being the general of the Krypton military, Zod hadn’t concern himself with the proceedings. He had made a joke to Jor about being his son-in-law, but they had both been too concerned with the harvesting of the Krypton core to actually care about the proposed betrothal.

If Krypton imploded within the year, there would be no point in worrying about a marriage that wouldn’t happen for another twenty years to bridge the castes.

\---

Zod stormed into Jor and Lara’s home expecting to find them planning to launch themselves and the codex into space. Instead he found Jor in his full armor.

Zod clenched his fists, steadying his already increasing heart rate. “I know you stole the codex, Jor-El. Surrender it, and I’ll let you live.”

Jor stared him down. “This is a second chance for all of Krypton, not just the bloodlines you deem worthy.”

Zod’s eyes widened. “What have you done?”

“We’ve had a child, Zod” Jor said carefully. “A boy child. Krypton’s first natural birth in centuries. And he will be free. Free to forge his own destiny.”

“Heresy,” Zod roared. “Destroy it!” He ordered his soldiers.

His soldiers raised their weapons and aimed for the small spaceship. He hadn’t clarified whether his soldiers should destroy the spaceship or the child, but it mattered little to him. Unsurprisingly, Jor-El started firing back. Zod yanked Jor’s gun after three blasts fired, and initially he had the upper hand. But then Jor broke Zod’s nose and sliced the side of Zod’s face with his armor. Zod ran at Jor, shoved him into the wall and forced Jor to drop his gun.

Zod kept expecting Jor-El to give up, but over and over he kept pulling himself out of Zod’s hold. He was not a man of the military, but he fought earnestly in his attempt to keep Zod far away from the codex and the child. Zod braced himself for each punch Jor delivered to his face. For the first time in his life, Zod could feel himself about to be defeated. _He was losing._ He pulled back as far as he could and braced himself as he delivered a punch to Jor’s face, a final, last ditch effort. Jor fell backward, and Zod scrambled back for Jor’s gun.

Zod beckoned his soldiers. “Move and they will kill you,” he told Jor. Zod glanced over at Lara. Her shoulders were no longer as squared, but she still continued programming the launch. “Lara, listen to me. The codex is Krypton’s future. Abort the launch.”

She spared him a glance, and Zod instantly knew she would not listen. He ran forward and began blasting all of the wires below the spaceship. An ominous creak gave out, and then the spaceship slowly rolled forward. Zod braced it with a hand and shoved it back in place. “Open the door, Lara,” he ordered. “Open it or I will blast it open.” Lara didn’t budge, but another soldier stepped forward and typed in the correct information to open the door.

The child squirmed as Zod picked it up. When Zod jumped down onto the floor, he readjusted the child, cradling the child with one arm and using his other hand to hold the gun. The child was clearly a thing Jor and Lara were proud of and would protect, even if it had been produced by savage means. “Where is the codex?”

Jor’s jaw tightened, but he stayed on the ground. “The codex doesn’t belong to you. It deserves to have a second chance, free from your authority,” Jor replied grimly.

“And your child as well?” Zod spared a glance at the baby, not missing what Jor wasn’t saying. “What? You plan on destroying everything?”

“There is no hope.” Jor let out a sigh. “How will you fix Krypton? How can a military uprising possibly fix a planet already destined for destruction?”

\---

Zod walked back and forth in his room. The coup had been successful, but Jor and Lara refused to tell him where the codex went. Their child would not be given back until then, but Zod, in his inability to believe Jor wouldn’t try double crossing him, kept the child in his private chambers. The child was an abomination, but it was Zod’s only bargaining chip. If only the infant’s crying didn’t hurt his ears so much. Zod picked up Kal, rocking him in his arms in the hopes that he would quiet. He had seen people do that sort of thing.

If only Jor would simply tell him what happened, then he would gladly return the infant. Zod did not want to charge his friends with treason. He hadn’t even arrested them like the council members. Guards stayed stationed at Jor and Lara’s house, but he would forgive his old friends if they only admitted their error. And with the old council gone, surely Jor could find a way to further stabilize the Krypton core.

“Shush, Kal,” Zod hushed.  “Your crying is making it difficult to rule a planet.” An automaton hovered nearby to gauge the child’s needs and respond appropriately, but apparently the crying was for entirely non-biological reasons.

Kal hiccupped, but his crying didn’t relent. Zod rolled his eyes. He had found a way to overthrow the old high council and to end the drilling of the Krypton core, but he couldn’t hush an infant.

\---

“Jor. Lara.” Zod nodded tersely at them as they entered the room. He held Kal with one arm like last time, but Faora stood by closely. He wasn’t going to take chances. He had almost planned on Faora guarding Kal and the automaton in another room, but considering Jor’s knowledge of technology, that plan was discarded. If Jor knew of a way to steal his child back, he would do it.

No, Zod would hold onto Kal until the codex was returned.

Zod stood up from his throne. “Do you plan on telling us where the codex is?”

Jor and Lara shared a look before Jor nodded. “Yes.”

“And?”

Jor clenched and unclenched his hands, taking a deep breath before he could continue. “The codex is in my son.”

Zod’s face twisted in confusion. He glanced down at the child in his arms. Kal looked like any other child of Krypton. “How?”

“I disintegrated the codex and had it dispersed inside his body.”

“Can it be undone?”

“Yes.”

Zod nodded and started walking away. “Wait!” Zod glanced over his shoulder to see Lara with her hands outstretched. “Are you not going to give him back?”

Zod raised his eyebrows. “I will have my doctors take care of it.”

“Don’t hurt him,” Lara pleaded. Her face twisted in righteous anger, and it pained Zod that his old friend would think he would do something so wretched. Kal was an abomination, but he was not about to kill the child. Zod had other plans.

“I won’t,” Zod promised. “Jor can send me instructions on how to reverse it, and I will have it done, and your son will be returned.” He walked away with the child, ignoring anymore of Lara’s pleas.

\---

Zod held the codex in his hand. It felt unreal to be holding the source of all Kryptonians. He hadn’t fully believed Lara and Jor were telling the truth about disintegrating the codex and placing it inside of Kal’s body. Such a thing sounded preposterous, but now it only seemed incredible. Kal squirmed in Zod’s arms, breaking him out of his reverie. Once the codex was back in place, and guards were stationed to ensure nobody else would ever steal the codex again, he would finally return the child back to Jor and Lara.

Faora appeared at his side, and he gave the codex to her. “Take care of it,” he ordered. She nodded and walked away. Zod glanced out the window. The people had initially been concerned by the coup, but most accepted their new leader, and those who disagreed were arrested and tried for treason to the new government. However, most people had been against the harvesting of the Krypton core, and with the planet’s tentative stabilization, they now viewed Zod as their salvation. Zod hadn’t wanted the knowledge of Kal’s birth being publicly known just yet, but people gossiped. None had ever heard of a child being born without the codex. While Zod and others saw Kal as an abomination, many viewed Kal as nothing short of a miracle.

Zod glanced at the infant squirming in his arms. He definitely wouldn’t say Kal was a miracle. It was intriguing how the codex wasn’t necessary for his development, but it was worrisome how Kal’s life wasn’t predetermined. The codex existed for a reason. Jor and Lara committed heresy by producing Kal without the use of the codex, and Zod would have to find a way to appropriately deal with them in order to inhibit others from following their example.

When Faora gave Zod the signal, he walked toward the council room. Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van would be waiting for him there. Jor didn’t look any less pleased than he did a week ago. Lara attempted to walk toward Zod and Kal, but the guards stopped her. She glared at the nearest guard before her gaze locked on Zod. “Do you not plan on giving my child back?”

“I do,” Zod quipped. “But now that the safety of Krypton has been ensured, we must seek to fix the proposal of the bridging the military and science castes.” He raised an eyebrow. “I’m sure you remember that proposal.”

Lara raised an eyebrow in return. “We do.”

“Then we shall write up a contract for the betrothal.”

Jor placed a hand on Lara’s shoulder, but she didn’t lower her gaze. “Alright,” Jor sighed. “Show us the contract you’ve prepared.”

Lara glared throughout the signing of the contract, and Zod did his best to ignore it. He didn’t care if his dearest friends hated him. He was doing this for the planet and the greater good. He ended the harvesting of the Krypton core, he helped find a solution by seeking more planets, he was beloved by the people.

If Lara and Jor couldn’t see what he was doing, then so be it.

\---

While the contract Zod made Lara and Jor sign pledged Kal to Zod, it also existed to ensure they any future sabotage would be nearly impossible. Constant surveillance became something Lara and Jor learned to live with. Military personal guarded their house, escorted them across the planet, and were able to make routine checkups whenever they pleased.

It irked Lara and Jor to no end. They never wanted Kal to be forced to become a bartering chip. They wanted more for any child of theirs. They had a live birth and hoped their son could one day choose for himself. They had never pretended they could somehow hide their duplicity, but they hadn’t prepared for their current outcome.

Jor and Lara attempted to raise Kal without putting on the pressures of being the future consort to Zod. Kal was simply their child. They refused to enroll him into formal school, something even Zod agreed with. Instead they raised Kal as a free spirit, teaching him everything they knew while allowing him to be a healthy, happy child.

Most days Kal was entirely theirs, and Lara and Jor were able to ignore their child’s future. But on the days Zod would come to visit, Lara and Jor’s mood would change drastically. Lara would become silent and try to eavesdrop while Jor clunked around in his laboratories.

\---

Zod sat in the courtyard as Kal, a rambunctious child, ran back and forth, flinging stones in some children’s game and yelling random facts. Kal was a whirlwind of energy and could easily entertain himself, and it gave Zod the ability to sit patiently and analyze him without being questioned.

He worried about Kal.

He couldn’t figure out what kind of person Kal would turn out to be. The codex determined a person's station in life by their genes, and that was never done for Kal.

Keeping Kal hidden was a necessity, both to protect the future consort and to hide any weaknesses. The people thought Kal was an interesting story to gossip about, but there were always dissenters to any coup. They might still have hatred toward the coup and see that attacking the future consort was an excellent means of retaliation, regardless of the future consort being merely a child.

Kal climbed up onto the bench Zod was sitting on. “What are you doing?”

“Listening to you.” Zod smiled. Kal was nearly six years old. He deserved a pet to follow him around everywhere. He would discuss it with Kal’s parents. Certainly Kal could handle it.

“Kal, if your parents say yes, would you want a pet to take care of?”

Kal’s eyes lit up, and he quickly stood up and threw an arm over Zod’s shoulders. “Yes, yes!” He leaned toward Zod, and Zod accommodated himself to allow Kal’s hug. “I can take care of a pet!” Kal nuzzled his face against Zod’s, causing Zod to laugh. Zod wasn’t sure why Kal had found nuzzling appealing, but children were always strange beings. His facial hair certainly wasn’t as intriguing as Kal made it out to be.

\---

As Kal grew older, he became more interested in what Zod did as the general and ruler of Krypton. Zod had a feeling it was half-interest and half-wondering what other people’s lives consisted of. Kal rarely got a chance to see meet new people. His list of constant associates included his mother, his father, Zod, the military personnel who lived in and visited Kal’s home, and a handful of people Zod deemed safe to interact with Kal. Kal’s own group of peers was small. Those children had to come from families that Zod approved of.

Kal rarely had a chance to socialize. It was too much of a risk that someone might try to attack him and ruin the alliance. And that wasn’t the only issue. People were becoming incredibly zealous over Kal’s existence.

Kal had once contained the entire codex inside of him as an infant. People wondered if that somehow made him better. The gossip the people created didn’t hurt Zod’s reign. The people, for the most part, thought it would be good having Kal as the future consort, arguing that because Kal once contained the information of every single Kryptonian inside of him, he could empathize with all the people of Krypton. Some instigators added on to that line of thinking by saying Kal would be able to empathize with more than just the ones Zod deemed worthy. That part annoyed Zod. There were far too many people who believed Kal would balance Zod out when they finally married.

Zod did not completely disapprove of that set of thinking considering most of the people who felt this way toward Kal also supported Zod, but he refused to let Kal’s head get filled up with nonsense. Kal was not a warrior, not a politician, not a scientist, not a savior of the people. He would be Zod’s _consort_ , not someone with any legitimate power that could sway Zod’s decisions.

\---

Kal brought his book into the courtyard and read that instead of acknowledging Zod’s presence. It was perhaps the first time out of his thirteen years of life that he acted this way toward Zod.

Kal had asked to see the palace and the high council chambers two weeks ago, but his parents refused. They believed Zod had planted this thought in their child’s mind, and they refused to let Kal go. Lara accused Zod of attempting to steal Kal away like he did when Kal was a newborn, only this time Lara and Jor would be murdered while Kal would be forced to be married off as a child.

Those thoughts had never occurred to Zod. He did not want to murder his friends or force a child to marry him. In an attempt to show how he expressed no ill will, he agreed with Lara and Jor in not allowing Kal to visit him.

Kal, on the other hand, did not understand. He became angry and confused, hurt that his parents didn’t believe he would want to visit the high council for no reason other than pure interest. Kal was mad at his parents but also mad at Zod for not speaking up on his behalf. He would not forgive Zod for refusing his request, and he refused to listen to Zod’s excuses for not defending him.

Zod sighed and sat down next to Kal. Most people wouldn’t get away with so blatantly being rude toward the ruler of Krypton. He placed a hand on Kal’s shoulder, but Kal shrugged it off.

Zod glanced at the doorway where Lara and Jor stood watching. Jor had been the one to cave, but Lara only agreed earlier that day. She raised her eyebrows at Zod, nodding her head in Kal’s direction. The only thing she worried about more than her son’s safety was his happiness.

“Your parents have agreed you can see the high council if that’s your wish.”

Kal froze. His breath hitched, but he didn’t make any noises of glee like Zod had expected. Instead Kal tampered down any possible excitement, nodded his head, and smoothed the pages of his book. “Really?”

“Yes.”

Kal smiled, but he continued staring at his book. Zod waited for something more, but he could see Kal practically vibrating with anticipation. Zod gathered his belongings and stood up, doing his best not to huff. He had expected more of a reaction out of Kal, but he didn’t have any more time to entertain the whims of children. Faora would have news about the new planet that scouts had found to terraform.

\---

Zod was busy during Kal and Jor’s visit, but he assumed it was better that way. Jor knew all about Krypton and could easily recall laws and history.

A little before their midday meal, Zod managed to find some time to greet the two of them. Kal greeted him warmly, trying and failing to hide his excitement about being in such a prestigious place. Zod pretended to be oblivious to Kal’s inability to contain his excitement, but he noticed Faora’s gaze flicking between him and Kal. A small smile appeared on her face, her eyes slightly narrowed, but it vanished as fast as it appeared.

Zod knew Faora disapproved of Kal’s lack of predetermined fate by the codex, but Kal had been born after the proclamation of the necessity to bridge the science and military castes. It had always been his role to marry Zod.

She personally escorted Jor out of the room, leaving Zod and Kal alone. They both watched Jor, both feeling very different emotions. Zod had reminisced many times over his friendship with Jor and Lara. It was ruined now, far too strained to ever go back to what it once was. In a different life they could’ve remained dear friends.

Zod sat down in the chair closest to him and rested his weight against the table, tired from having to deal with everyone’s problems all day. The military seemed less difficult than politics, but then people followed orders in the military whereas everyone had some asinine opinion they needed to voice in politics.

Zod glanced at the object in Kal’s hands. It looked Kryptonian, but much more ancient. “What’s that?”

Kal took a few steps forward until he was standing beside Zod. “Faora gave it to me.”

Zod hummed. “Faora is a good friend.”

Kal nodded, but the corners of his mouth turned downward. “Well I don’t have that many friends to begin with.” He fidgeted next to Zod. “I don’t have many friends at all,” he sighed.

Zod scrubbed a hand over his face, closing his eyes while he took a moment to answer. This wasn’t the first time Kal brought up how sad he was about being unable to have friends his own age, so heartbroken over his inability to make friends because of who he was.

Zod didn’t know how to relate. He had comrades, so there had always been that sense of camaraderie, but that was much different. His fellow soldiers kept him from dying. He had no idea how to console a child who felt isolated from the world.

When Zod opened his eyes, he set his gaze on Kal. “We have to keep you safe. It’s for the greater good.”

Kal scuffed the tip of one of his boots into the ground. “I just want to be an adolescent,” he murmured.

Zod rolled his shoulders. “People see you as a beacon of hope. That’s what your name means,” he sighed. “Hope.” He waved his hand in the air, attempting to encompass all that the word ‘hope’ meant. “It may be a difficult destiny, but I’m sure you can handle it.”

Zod stared at the space in front of him, not wanting to invite more room for discussion. Next to him he could hear Kal rustling. He scrubbed a hand over his face. Silence was never good with Kal. It always meant thinking and ideas forming.

Zod blinked his eyes open, not even aware he had closed them until he had felt soft lips pressing against his cheek. He abruptly turned his head toward Kal, but he was already blushing furiously while staring at the floor.

Zod opened his mouth, but he didn’t know if he should discuss the kiss or reprimand Kal, but Kal’s embarrassment seemed so great that Zod said nothing.

\---

When Kal turned sixteen, he started getting rebellious. He had questioned his betrothal to Zod previously, but it had always been done quietly, and Kal had accepted most reasoning. Now he was much more vocal in voicing all of his complaints.

Zod rolled his eyes while Kal worked himself into a frenzy over the legality of the betrothal. Either Lara and Jor had spoiled their child, or Kal refused to accept his responsibility.

“I just don’t see why there aren’t other solutions,” Kal said, a phrase he had repeated many times. “Why would anyone think a marriage could bridge two different castes? A marriage wouldn’t solve anything.”

Zod watched while Kal buzzed around. “It’s what the people want.”

“It’s what the old high council wanted,” Kal corrected. “And since you dissolved the old high council, I don’t see why you wouldn’t ignore their proposal of marriage.”

“Do you not wish to marry me?”

Kal took a deep breath as if Zod was the one being childish. “I just don’t understand. Why must I always be cooped up? Why are my parents still under house arrest?” Kal shook his head. “Any person can see that this isn’t exactly an equal union of two people from different castes,” he said quietly

Zod strode forward. “Well of course it’s not equal. I am responsible for the military and the great empire. You—”

“Are stuck here puttering away, reading and writing essays because my worth will be defined by a marriage that will somehow unify the two most separated castes,” Kal interrupted, tilting his head. “And because I wasn’t created by the codex, I am unfit for anything else.” Kal stared at Zod as if he was somehow sizing Zod up. “It’s fortunate that at least I have a marriage to look forward to, even if that marriage was decided by a group of people who were tried for treason.” He gave Zod a sardonic smile before grabbing a book.

Zod clenched his fists, trying his best to hold himself back from doing anything drastic. Kal started fights like this all the time. And Zod loved it. Kal’s righteous anger over the ordeal infuriated Zod. It made him want to punish Kal, but it also made him want to kiss him until he couldn’t breathe. But he could do neither. He would certainly not hit Kal. And he would not breach the contract he signed sixteen years ago. He would not make any sexual advances toward Kal until marriage.

\---

Most marriages occurred after formal education and work preparation, which for most Kryptonians ended at age twenty. Kal was a special situation. He had no need to choose a profession. He would be married to the ruler of Krypton.

When he was younger, Kal had some ideas of being a soldier. The constant exposure to guards and military elite may have had some hand in that, but it wasn’t a life he could pursue. Regardless of the years of training, soldiers had a great chance of dying in combat. If Kal were to die, then the proposal would be all for nothing. Nevertheless, Kal was persistent in learning how to fight. Zod allowed it, and guards took turns teaching Kal how to fight correctly. Faora even took a personal interest in training Kal how to fight like a true soldier.

All of the hours of training and exercise culminated in a strong physique and sense of self-confidence. It was enticing. Zod had no problem with self-restraint, but he grew anxious over the situation. Kal was seventeen and yet carried himself like an adult. His lack of peers altered Kal’s level of maturity. When Kal didn’t train, he educated himself. He enjoyed the arts, reading and writing during his free time.

Zod paced back and forth in the council chambers. He had started believing the marriage should occur sooner. There was no point in waiting until Kal was twenty. There were great tutors that could teach Kal at the palace if he wished to pursue his education even farther. But this idea did not go over well with Lara. Instead of agreeing with Zod, she questioned his motives. She had been suspicious, wondering aloud why Zod was getting so nervous.

Eventually she acknowledged that they might as well allow the marriage to occur sooner than planned, but it would not happen for at least another year. And Kal could still pursue his scholarly education at the palace.

\---

The wedding went without any problems. There were no hostile protests, and the few protests that started were shut down well before they could even build momentum. Officials had been present at the wedding, and they all agreed that the marriage was the correct decision, even if the corrupt high council had originally proposed it.

The ceremony had no extravagant nonsense. Zod preferred keeping everything simple. He refused to set a poor example of gluttony for his people.

When Zod and Kal finally left the reception, Zod was tired and worn out and immediately sat down on the bed.  He had been wearing his full armor all day, and while he was used to the weight, it had been impeding in all of the celebrations. Zod took the time to carefully remove his armor and place it in its spot. He glanced at Kal who was busy walking around the bedroom. Kal didn’t bother undressing, but Zod didn’t wait for him. Zod made efficient work, and when he was done, walked over to Kal, not caring about modesty around his new husband.

“Are you alright?” Zod asked.  He quirked his head, wondering what Kal was waiting for.

Kal nodded his head. “Mhm. I’m just looking at all of these things.”

Zod walked toward Kal, placing a hand on Kal’s shoulders. He peered at the book Kal was looking at. “Is it interesting? Faora brought it back a week ago.” Zod ran his hands down Kal’s arms, noticing the shiver that ran down Kal’s body. He would say something about Kal being cold, but the room was much too warm for that. Instead Zod moved his arms to Kal’s cape, taking care not to snag it on anything. He placed it down on the table and started undressing Kal. His suit fit snug, but Zod took his time.

“Is this alright?” Zod asked, not expecting any refusal, but aware that it was possible considering who he was asking. Kal inhaled a deep breath, his body shifting underneath Zod’s grip.

“Yes,” Kal replied. “I’m fine.” His voice cracked, causing Zod to pause. Zod knew when Kal was lying, but this seemed more like a matter of nerves than anything. It was rare for any wedding night of arranged marriages to not be wrought with nerves.

“Are you?”

“I am.” Kal’s voice cut like steel, and Zod resumed undressing him. They had already said their vows; all that was left for this marriage to be considered official was consummation. If this had been a marriage founded in love, Zod might’ve tried consoling him, but this was a political marriage. They were getting married for the greater good. Neither could ignore how this marriage would unify the castes. They both had their responsibilities to uphold.

When Zod finally had Kal naked and laying down on the bed, he took his time looking his fill. Kal would’ve made a good warrior, but it was probably for the best that the codex never designated him for that. The high council had wanted to bring a representative of the science caste and a representative from the military caste. The marriage would never have happened if Kal ended up being a soldier as well.

Zod pressed a kiss against Kal’s mouth. He had been allowed to kiss him during the wedding reception, but none had been as filthy as he wanted. Zod made up for it now.

Kal moved upward, and for a moment Zod considered grabbing him by the hips and having Kal rest on his hands and knees, but that wouldn’t do. He had done that with his fellow soldiers, but it wasn’t something he wanted from Kal—at least not yet. Zod had been patient for the last few years. Now he wanted to watch Kal’s reaction while he fucked him. He nudged Kal’s knees up, pushing them until Kal grabbed them and held them up.

“Have you imagined this?”

“Yes,” Kal answered.

 “And you’ve imagined this?”

“I’ve imagined a lot of variations.”

Zod grinned and pressed his lips against Kal’s again. “Good.” He lowered himself down between Kal’s thighs. Kal had never been injured in a fight, and his skin was free from scars and blemishes. Zod ran an appreciating hand over Kal before licking a stripe up Kal’s perineum. Kal gasped and arched, but Zod kept him from moving too far away by gripping Kal’s leg. He spent a few moments mouthing against Kal’s cock, all the while watching Kal arch off the bed, but then he ducked down and pressed a kiss against Kal’s hole.

He sat up and dipped his fingers in oil. It came from a plant harvested on a new planet, and Zod had found the oil to be perfectly suitable for this sort of thing. He pressed a finger against the tight ring of muscle, and watched Kal breathe in and out. He pushed a finger inside, and Kal gasped for air, his spine bending upward. When Kal calmed down, Zod continued his work.

Zod had never claimed to be nurturing, but he rubbed a hand over Kal, so very proud of Kal’s behavior. Zod knew it hurt, and yet Kal was doing his best. Zod enjoyed this level of control. He moved his fingers, but only to tease before finally adding more.

When Zod slicked himself up and started pressing his cock inside of Kal, Kal couldn’t help himself from writhing. He stopped trying to hold his legs up, instead wrapping them around Zod’s body.

After Zod finally had his cock completely inside of Kal, he carded a hand through Kal’s hair. “Good boy,” Zod hummed. He pulled back, then pushed back in, reveling in the moans Kal made. Each time he rocked inside of Kal, the noises became increasingly louder. “If you were born with a uterus, I'd fuck you until you were pregnant.” Kal let out a whimper. “That's what the people would want. To see the first child born from natural means in centuries to start producing children the natural way.”

Kal’s fingers dug into Zod’s shoulders. Poor Kal. Zod rocked harder into him. Poor, sweet boy; eighteen and the only person he has ever kissed was Zod when he was thirteen. Definitely sexually repressed.

“You’d want that, wouldn’t you? Want me to fuck you until you were with child?” Zod did not want that, but the thought of it made him want to fuck Kal even harder.

“Yeah,” Kal gasped, his breath stuttering. Zod watched as Kal’s hand wrapped around his cock, jerking it until he found his release.

“Come here.” Zod moved his hand and cupped Kal’s face and brought him into another kiss. His hand slid down until it rested on the side of Kal’s neck while Zod continued rocking inside of him. When Zod came, he kissed Kal’s jaw before slowly pulling out and laying next to him.

Zod let out a sigh as he assessed the situation. Kal was still breathing hard, still stunned. Regardless, he was too quiet. Zod knew him.

“What’s going on?”

“Is that what the people want?” Kal asked quietly.

The panic was evident in Kal’s voice, but Zod did his best not to immediately disregard it. He rolled his shoulders and turned his body toward Kal. “Krypton is now controlled by a dictatorship. There is no need to build a legacy using such means. And even if that was the case, I would not want it. The codex exists for a reason.” Zod pulled Kal into his arms. “While you are special case, Krypton needs the codex in order to run smoothly. Even if you could produce children, it would be setting a poor example.”

“But is that what the people want? Seeing me have children?”

“Well, perhaps.” Zod quirked an eyebrow. “But it’s not what I want, and I doubt it’s what you want.”

Kal nodded. “Well, yes, but that isn’t what I meant.” He fidgeted in Zod’s arms. “Would I be letting down the people of Krypton by not meeting this expectation?”

Zod let out a huff. “The codex will decide if a child is destined for us. And if not, the next general will take my place. Whether there are children or not, you will be cared for until death. I’ve already made arrangements,” Zod said as flippantly as possible. “I wouldn’t let any harm befall you.”

Kal settled in closer, kissing Zod before relaxing. Zod closed his eyes, attempting to feign indifference despite the hand tightening on Kal’s waist. He honestly never wanted children. They were messy and loud and disruptive. And they would want all of Kal’s attention. He would have to share Kal with them, and Kal belonged to him. No, Zod wanted to be selfish. Anyways, Zod had already helped raise the perfect child.

 

 


End file.
